The Highland Fling
Two of Scotland’s rarest breeding water birds can be found on secluded lochs in the Highlands. Last week not only was I able to film a pair of Black Throated Divers feeding two young but the same morning I came across a pair of Slavonian grebes also with two young. Both species were filmed from the car on public roads and so a licence was not required.
While I was in the Highlands I have always wanted to find a plant called Twin Flower It grows in the Caledonian pine forests and last week was perfect timing as we found over a thousand in one secluded spot.
One of the attractions of Islay to the wildlife enthusiast is that you can never predict what wildlife will present itself to you. One minute it is a gathering of Black Guillemots, a passing Hen Harrier carrying nesting material, groups of Roe Deer, but best of all a pair of Shelduck with 22 young. www.facebook.com/gordonyateswildlife
On the 13th June last month I had a brilliant four hours in my hide on Islay filming a female Hen Harrier as she flew to her nest with prey. It is something I have done before under Special Licence from NatureScot and is a privilege I have always valued. It was only when I got home and checked my diaries that I found on the 13th June 1973 I filmed my first ever Hen Harriers nest on North Uist. In those 50 years I have spent many hours filming 65 pairs of Hen Harriers which must make me the most experienced Hen Harrier photographer in Britain!!
Our 117th visit to Islay was blessed with unbroken sunshine and a max temperature of 28C! For a wildlife enthusiast Islay has everything to offer and it was good to see the great variety of Waders still present when we arrived. Sanderling and Turnstones were bound for Greenland and some were now in summer plumage. Snipe were displaying and Common Sandpipers seemed to be found on every hundred yards of coastline.Redshank and Curlew were also present in good numbers and now all had young to look after. www.facebook.com/gordonyateswildlife
Last month I drove through the fog on the high Pennines to reach that special place in Yorkshire where the Black Necked Grebes breed. I had been before this spring but failed to find any pairs with young but all that was about to change. Not one but two pairs of Grebes had three young each and I settled down on a public footpath for a magical hour of filming – they were superb!! www.facebook.com/gordonyateswildlife
While I was filming the Kingfishers recently a party of Dippers came within camera range. I could only see one juvenile, but there may have been more, and the male was already in song and contemplating breeding for a second time.